Surviving the Storm
by annaid41
Summary: When the events of Eye of the Storm hit too close to home for Hunter, Cam must take matters into his own hands and confront his friend to find out what is wrong. CamHunter friendship fic. Complete.


Surviving the Storm

By Annaid41

Author's Note: This takes place a couple of days after "Eye of the Storm." After watching the episode, I couldn't help but think of what might have happened if Hunter or Blake had been attacked. My imagination ran away with me, and thus, this story was born. Hope you all like it. This is my first Power Rangers fanfic. Please let me know what you think!

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Cam Watanabe stepped through the hidden entrance to Ninja Ops and out into what he liked to call "the other world." It was so easy to loose track of what was going on outside of Ninja Ops and so hard to remember a time when he felt like a normal person with just average, everyday responsibilities. He rarely left the cave except to battle against Lothor's monsters. Sure he would go out grocery shopping when their supplies were starting to run low, but other than that…he hardly ever went out.

As he stepped out into the cool mountain morning, he breathed deeply, enjoying the taste of fresh air. The air system in the cave was quite advanced so he couldn't really complain, but it just couldn't compare to the real thing. Having been raised at the Wind Ninja Academy, he'd taken for granted the luxury of the clean, crisp air that he'd breathed every day of his life. Now whenever he left the cave, he'd developed a habit of closing his eyes and breathing in deeply for a minute or so, releasing the recycled air of the cave and filling his lungs with the fresh. After a brief pause, he opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle his mission. He knew that this particular mission was going to test his resourcefulness and most likely stretch his patience to the breaking point. It would require a clear head, a calm spirit, and infinite patience. It would be a challenge – that he knew for certain – but it had to be done for the safety of himself, the Rangers, and the world. _You can do this, Cam,_ he told himself firmly, taking another deep breath. _You know you can._ Pep talk finished, he headed over to the far side of the small lake where the object of his mission sat, completely unaware of his intentions.

Hunter Bradley sat next to the lake, his knees pulled up to his chest, his arms wrapped around them, and his chin resting atop his arms. His blond hair shone in the morning sun, the brightness of it deeply at odds with the desolate expression on his face. His entire body radiated sadness. All in all, Cam had never seen the older Bradley brother look so alone.

Cam moved towards Hunter, preparing himself for the explosion that was sure to come once he was spotted. Out of all of the Rangers, Hunter was the most solitary and the least likely to reveal anything personal. At first, Cam had been a bit insulted about it…until he noticed that Hunter was that way with all of the Rangers except for his brother, Blake. Back then, Blake seemed to be the only person that Hunter would talk to, a fact that had worried both Cam and his dad. Now Hunter seemed relatively comfortable talking to him. He wasn't exactly sure why, but he suspected it had something to do with age. Cam was older than the other Rangers by several years. Hunter was the next in line, beating out Shane by four months. Still, it wasn't so much the actual age as it was maturity level. Hunter had been looking out for Blake ever since their parents died, and Cam knew that hadn't changed once they'd been moved to the Thunder Academy. Hunter watched out for Blake, and Blake watched out for Hunter. That was just the way the world worked for the Bradley brothers.

With every step he took unchallenged, Cam's concern about Hunter grew. By the time he was standing next to him, his concern had morphed into worry and was bordering on fear. The Crimson Thunder Ranger had always been extremely aware of his surroundings, an ability that nearly rivaled that of Cam's father. For Cam to come up to him and Hunter be unaware of his presence…something was definitely wrong.

He hesitated, unsure of how he should make himself known, and then decided that, in this case, simple was good. He said a quick prayer for guidance and then sat down right next to his teammate. "Hey," he said nonchalantly.

Hunter nodded, never taking his eyes off of the water. "Hey." He didn't seem startled or surprised to see Cam.

_So much for approaching him unaware, _he thought ruefully. _He was just ignoring me. _"Something wrong?"

"No," he answered shortly, still staring at the lake. "Why?"

Cam sighed. _Typical Hunter response. Everything's always "okay" or "fine." Nothing's ever wrong, not even when he's hurt or sick._ Mentally shrugging, he settled on the direct approach. "Oh, I don't know…" his tone slightly sarcastic, "maybe the way you've been acting the last two days? I mean, I know you don't talk all that much, but twenty words in the last two days? I think that's a little drastic, don't you?" When he didn't get any response from Hunter, he pressed a little harder. "And you're hardly eating anything, again, like before. Don't think I haven't noticed."

That got a reaction. Hunter's head snapped over his shoulder to look at Cam. In that split second, Cam saw the fear lurking in his blue eyes. Then he blinked, and it was gone. "Listen, man, it's not like that. Don't worry about it."

"It's too late for that, Hunter. I already am worried."

Hunter twisted his head away from Cam and rested it on his arms again, this time with his face hidden in his arms. He watched his friend's fists clench and unclench, realizing for the first time how tense Hunter truly was.

When no answer was forthcoming, Cam shook his head. "Look, I know that something's bothering you. And I know how you are. You've been on your own for so long that you think you don't need anyone else, that you don't need any help." He turned his entire body to the side to face Hunter fully. "And I'm going to take a wild guess here, but I think that whatever is wrong has something to do with Blake." When Hunter's huddled body visibly stiffened, Cam knew he'd hit a nerve. "Otherwise you'd be inside Ops talking to him instead of sitting out here by the lake brooding." He leaned forward and touched the crimson clothed shoulder, feeling the taunt body shudder at the contact. "You need to talk to someone or you're going to make yourself sick just like before. Come on, Hunter. Talk to me."

The silence stretched on for a few minutes, but Cam chose to stay quiet and wait to see what Hunter would do. He'd already pushed his teammate as far as he could and refused to push any further…at least for now. Hopefully he wouldn't have to.

The Green Samurai Ranger closed his eyes and breathed deeply, listening to the reassuring sounds that surrounded him: the rustling of the leaves, the rushing of the waterfall, the haunting cry of an eagle high overhead. It wasn't quite meditation, but it was similar and had almost the same affect. He let the peace and tranquility of the mountains slowly soak into his soul and sooth his troubled spirit, readying him for the task ahead.

"I just…can't stop thinking about the fear monster."

The words were spoken so softly that he nearly missed them. He glanced up at the younger man and saw that he was staring at the lake again, his gaze fixed on something only he could see.

"What about it?" Cam prodded gently.

Hunter sighed, a heavy sound that seemed to come from the very depths of his being. "I can't help thinking of what would have happened if I had been hit by that monster instead of Shane or Dustin or Tori. I don't know what their worst fears were – and I would never ask because…that's a private thing, you know? But whatever their fears were, they were strong enough to overcome them."

"I don't understand," Cam shook his head. "Why does that upset you?"

The blond closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Because I know that I could never overcome mine."

Cam instantly understood. He already knew what Hunter's worst fear would be, and it all revolved around one person: Blake. He seriously doubted that the Wind Rangers' fears were anywhere near as traumatic as the Thunders' would be. _As much as I hate to say it, I'm glad that creature hit the others and not Blake or Hunter. Things might have ended a lot differently if that had happened._

"I don't know what I would do if something happened to Blake," the young man's voice was thick with emotion. "It's hard enough when he gets hurt. But if he died – " he choked, his face twisting with anguish. "If he died…I think I'd die with him." He finally opened his eyes and turned to face Cam. "I can't… imagine life without him. He's the only thing I have left in the world, Cam." He shook his head, momentarily lost for words. "Without him…I've got nothing."

Cam felt a cold chill run down his spine as he met Hunter's burning gaze. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that what Hunter said was true. If the Rangers somehow lost Blake, they would lose Hunter as well. The thought was terrifying to him, and he could only imagine what it must be like for Hunter. Dealing with that fear every single battle, living with it day in and day out for the last several months …

_No_, he added, _probably for most of his life. It's amazing that he can take the constant stress. I don't know if I would be strong enough to live with that burden. I don't see how anybody can. And to endure it for so long…_

"Have you talked to Blake about this?" he finally asked.

Hunter shot him an incredulous look. "Are you crazy? Do you know what that would do to him?"

The words popped out before he could stop them. "The same thing that it's doing to you?"

The blond shook his head. "We're not talking about me here. I can't tell Blake about this, do you understand? He has enough things to worry about. He doesn't need any more. He's too young."

"Too young?" Cam snorted. "If he's too young, then what are you? You're only a year older than Blake. You don't deserve to have this kind of weight on your shoulders," he snapped, angry at Hunter, angry at himself, but most of all, angry at the world and how unfair it was.

"It doesn't matter. I'm his older brother, and he's my responsibility," he argued back. "And there's nothing you can do to stop that. It's just the way things are."

"But they don't have to be!" Cam insisted, his tone rising to match his friend's. "You have friends here, Hunter, that are willing to help you. Why do you always insist on doing things by yourself?"

Hunter glared at him. "You don't understand."

"Then help me understand!" he snapped.

The younger Ranger jumped to his feet, eyes blazing with anger and frustration, jaw clenched. "I can't change who I am! Don't ask me to!"

"I'm not trying to change you!"

"Yes, you are! Don't you get it?" Hunter began to pace back and forth beside the lake, his tall, thin frame vibrating with tension. Running a hand through his hair, he struggled for the words to explain. "You want me to be more dependent on other people, Cam, and I can't! I've been taking care of myself and Blake for almost ten years now. After our parents died, someone had to watch out for him – to protect him – and I was the only one left!" He stopped pacing and took a deep breath, clearly trying to calm down. "I know you think I'm too independent and stubborn," he said, meeting Cam's gaze and holding it, "but I've had to be that way in order for us to survive." He spoke slower now, choosing each word carefully, his eyes desperately pleading for Cam to understand. "I am the way I am because of my past. I can't change that…even if I wanted to."

Hunter shook his head before continuing in a softer, more reasonable tone. "Look, this is why I didn't want to talk about this. Nothing's changed, and now we're both upset. Still," he added, shrugging a crimson colored shoulder, "I've felt for a while that someone needed to know…just in case something should happen. At least now you've been warned." The younger man turned to walk away but Cam stopped him by grabbing his shoulder and gently, but firmly, turning him around.

"I can't promise you that nothing will ever happen to Blake. I wish I could, but I can't. But I can promise you that Shane, Dustin, Tori, and I will do everything possible within our power to keep him – and you – safe." Cam stared into Hunter's eyes, watching closely to see that he actually believed what Cam was telling him. "You don't have to go through this alone. I know that you won't change overnight – maybe never – but if you ever need to talk about this, I'm more than willing to listen. And I'll help however I can, you know that, right?" Hunter gave a small, hesitant nod. "You're my teammate, Hunter, but most of all, you're my friend. Give me a chance. That's all I ask."

The young blond thought about that for a minute, his attention shifting restlessly from Cam to the ground and then back. "I'll consider it under one condition."

Cam had a sinking suspicion he knew what it was. "And that would be…?"

Hunter crossed his arms. "You can never tell Blake about this."

_I knew it,_ he silently moaned."Hunter – "

The Thunder Ranger cut him off, his expression completely serious. "I mean it, man. No compromises. I need to know I can trust you on this. Yes or no – what'll it be?"

"Alright," he replied, hesitating briefly. As much as he hated agreeing, he still felt he was coming out ahead. _I wanted Hunter to talk to me, to tell me what was wrong, and he did. I don't like keeping this from Blake, but Hunter is right about one thing. Blake doesn't really need to know. It would just make him worry more about his brother than he already does. _Now partially convinced, he nodded, "Fine. I swear I won't tell Blake. Now what about you?"

There was a slight pause. "You won't be on my case to talk all the time, will you?" he finally asked, his trademark smirk appearing for the first time in days.

"Only when I think you need to," Cam answered with a wry smile of his own.

"What have I gotten myself into?" Hunter muttered, and then added a bit louder, "Okay, I guess I can live with that. Just don't expect too much, okay, man?"

"Oh, believe me. I won't."

Hunter released a sigh and slowly sank down onto the grass next to the lake, his blue eyes once again seeking out the clear, still water before him. Cam studied him for a few moments, relieved to see that the overwhelming sadness and detachment from earlier was mostly gone. He still wasn't back to normal, or at least what passed for normal for Hunter, but it seemed like he was back on track. He'd be okay. Cam would see to it. _My mission is complete,_ he thought with a slight smile. Deciding to give Hunter some space, he turned around to head back to the other side of the lake.

"You wanna sit down?"

Hunter's soft words stopped him in his tracks. "Sure," he said, successfully hiding his surprise and sitting down next to Hunter. He didn't know if they would talk or just sit and enjoy the peaceful mountain morning. It didn't really matter which one. Either choice sounded good to him.

THE END

Author's Note: I'm halfway through writing a multi-chapter fanfic called "Thunder's Echo" that deals with Hunter and Blake and how they were affected by the events in "Return of Thunder." Parts of this story will make a bit more sense after reading that one. Let me know if you would be interested in reading it. – Annaid41


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